Self-contained data logging air measurement device

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods of the present disclosure include heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) air measurement devices configured to enable operators to select data relating to certain air flow parameters to be directly downloaded from the HVAC air measurement devices and/or to otherwise be transmitted directly from the HVAC air measurement devices in substantially real time during operation to enable operators to make analytical decisions quickly and to reduce design development timelines, among other things. In addition, the HVAC air measurement devices obviate the need for: (1) separate computing devices to be connected to the HVAC air measurement devices to extract the data from the HVAC air measurement devices, and/or (2) using specialized software to extract the data from the HVAC air measurement devices, as required by conventional HVAC air measurement devices.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 63/245,297, entitled “SELF-CONTAINED DATALOGGING AIR MEASUREMENT DEVICE,” filed Sep. 17, 2021, which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects ofart that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure andare described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful inproviding the reader with background information to facilitate a betterunderstanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure.Accordingly, it should be noted that these statements are to be read inthis light, and not as admissions of prior art.

Heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) systems areutilized in residential, commercial, and industrial applications tocontrol environmental properties, such as temperature and humidity, foroccupants of respective environments. An HVAC system may control theenvironmental properties through control of properties of an air flowdelivered to and ventilated from spaces serviced by the HVAC system. Forexample, the HVAC system may transfer heat between the air flow andrefrigerant flowing through the system (e.g., a heat exchanger) toprovide cooled air for an indoor environment. Similarly, the HVAC systemmay heat the air flow to provide warmth to an indoor environment. Insome situations, the HVAC system may even provide cooling of the airflow followed by heating of the air flow to limit humidity whileproviding air at a desired temperature to the indoor environment. TheHVAC system may also control a flowrate of the air flow to manage (e.g.,expedite transitioning between) environmental conditions. As such, airflow parameters of air flow through air flow paths of an HVAC system areoften required to enable control of parameters of the HVAC system. Insuch situations, air measurement devices are often used to help collectdata relating to such air flow parameters. However, conventional airmeasurement devices do not allow operators to extract specific types ofdata without the need for physically connected other computing devicesto the air measurement devices and/or utilizing specialized software.

SUMMARY

A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. Itshould be noted that these aspects are presented merely to provide thereader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that theseaspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed,this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be setforth below.

In one embodiment, a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning(HVAC) air measurement device includes a housing, a display disposed onan outer surface of the housing, and one or more inputs disposed on theouter surface of the housing. In addition, the HVAC air measurementdevice includes control circuitry configured to be electricallyconnected to one or more sensors disposed within an air flow path of anHVAC system. The one or more sensors are configured to detect one ormore parameters of air flow through the air flow path. The controlcircuitry is configured to display a parameter selection menu via thedisplay. The parameter selection menu presents the one or moreparameters as one or more selectable parameter options. The controlcircuitry is also configured to receive one or more parameter selectioncommands from the one or more inputs. The one or more parameterselection commands relate to one or more selected parameters of the oneor more parameters. The control circuitry is further configured toreceive data relating to the one or more parameters from the one or moresensors. In addition, the control circuitry is configured to transmitdata relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or moreparameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device based at leastin part on the one or more parameter selection commands.

In one embodiment, a method includes displaying, via control circuitryof an HVAC air measurement device, a parameter selection menu via adisplay of the HVAC air measurement device. The parameter selection menupresents one or more parameters of air flow through an air flow path ofan HVAC system as one or more selectable parameter options. The one ormore parameters are detected by one or more sensors disposed within theair flow path of the HVAC system. The method also includes receiving,via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, one ormore parameter selection commands from one or more inputs of the HVACair measurement device. The one or more parameter selection commandsrelate to one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters.The method further includes receiving, via the control circuitry of theHVAC air measurement device, data relating to the one or more parametersfrom the one or more sensors. In addition, the method includestransmitting, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurementdevice, data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the oneor more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device basedat least in part on the one or more parameter selection commands.

In one embodiment, an HVAC air measurement system includes one or moresensors configured to be disposed within an air flow path of an HVACsystem. The one or more sensors are configured to detect one or moreparameters of air flow through the air flow path. The HVAC airmeasurement system also includes an HVAC air measurement device thatincludes a housing, a display disposed on an outer surface of thehousing, and one or more inputs disposed on the outer surface of thehousing. The HVAC air measurement system further includes controlcircuitry configured to be electrically connected to the one or moresensors. The control circuitry is configured to display a parameterselection menu via the display. The parameter selection menu presentsthe one or more parameters as one or more selectable parameter options.The control circuitry is also configured to receive one or moreparameter selection commands from the one or more inputs. The one ormore parameter selection commands relates to one or more selectedparameters of the one or more parameters. The control circuitry isfurther configured to receive data relating to the one or moreparameters from the one or more sensors. In addition, the controlcircuitry is configured to transmit data relating to the one or moreselected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVACair measurement device based at least in part on the one or moreparameter selection commands.

DRAWINGS

Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon readingthe following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a heating, ventilation,and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system for environmental management thatmay employ one or more HVAC units, in accordance with an aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a packaged HVAC unitthat may be used in the HVAC system of FIG. 1 , in accordance with anaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a cutaway perspective view of an embodiment of a residential,split HVAC system, in accordance with an aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic of an embodiment of a vapor compression systemthat can be used in any of the systems of FIGS. 1-3 , in accordance withan aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a first HVAC air measurement system that isconfigured to detect parameters of air flow at an inlet of a fan, inaccordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates two sensors and associated sensor cables of the HVACair measurement system of FIG. 5 , which may be electrically connectedto an HVAC air measurement device, in accordance with an aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a front view of a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device,in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a front view of a client (ancillary) HVAC air measurementdevice, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a side view of a second HVAC air measurement system that isconfigured to detect parameters of air flow through a duct, inaccordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 are perspective views of two HVAC air measurement systems ofFIG. 9 , in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a cutaway view of a duct having two HVAC air measurementsystems of FIG. 9 mounted thereto, in accordance with an aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a client (ancillary) HVAC airmeasurement device, in accordance with an aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 14 illustrates a first level menu option relating to data loggingbeing presented via a display of a host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 illustrates a second level menu option relating to data loggingbeing presented via a display of a host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 illustrates a third level menu option relating to data loggingbeing presented via a display of a host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 illustrates a fourth level menu option relating to data loggingbeing presented via a display of a host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 18 illustrates a first level menu option relating to datatransmission being presented via a display of a host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112, in accordance with an aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 19 illustrates a second level menu option relating to datatransmission being presented via a display of a host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112, in accordance with an aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 20 is a flow diagram of a method for operating a host (primary)HVAC air measurement device, in accordance with an aspect of the presentdisclosure; and

FIG. 21 is a flow diagram of a data logging process that may be utilizedusing the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device, in accordance withan aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effortto provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all featuresof an actual implementation are described in the specification. Itshould be noted that in the development of any such actualimplementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerousimplementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve thedevelopers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related andbusiness-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it should be noted that such a development effortmight be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routineundertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those ofordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean thatthere are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,”“including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean thatthere may be additional elements other than the listed elements.Additionally, it should be noted that references to “one embodiment” or“an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to beinterpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments thatalso incorporate the recited features.

As used herein, the terms “real time” and “substantially real time” mayrefer to actions that are performed substantially simultaneously withother actions, without any human-perceptible delay between the actions.For example, two functions performed in substantially real time occurwithin seconds (or even within milliseconds) of each other. As but onenon-limiting example, two functions performed in substantially real timeoccur within 1 second, within 0.1 second, within 0.01 second, and soforth, of each other.

The present disclosure is directed to heating, ventilation, and/or airconditioning (HVAC) air measurement devices configured to enableoperators to select data relating to certain air flow parameters to bedirectly downloaded from the HVAC air measurement devices and/or tootherwise be transmitted directly from the HVAC air measurement devicesin substantially real time during operation to enable operators to makeanalytical decisions quickly and to reduce design development timelines,among other things. In addition, the HVAC air measurement devicesdescribed herein obviate the need for: (1) separate computing devices tobe connected to the HVAC air measurement devices to extract the datafrom the HVAC air measurement devices, and/or (2) using specializedsoftware to extract the data from the HVAC air measurement devices, asrequired by conventional HVAC air measurement devices.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an HVACsystem for environmental management that may employ one or more HVACunits. As used herein, an HVAC system includes any number of componentsconfigured to enable regulation of parameters related to climatecharacteristics, such as temperature, humidity, air flow, pressure, airquality, and so forth. For example, an “HVAC system” as used herein isdefined as conventionally understood and as further described herein.Components or parts of an “HVAC system” may include, but are not limitedto, all, some of, or individual parts such as a heat exchanger, aheater, an air flow control device, such as a fan, a sensor configuredto detect a climate characteristic or operating parameter, a filter, acontrol device configured to regulate operation of an HVAC systemcomponent, a component configured to enable regulation of climatecharacteristics, or a combination thereof. An “HVAC system” is a systemconfigured to provide such functions as heating, cooling, ventilation,dehumidification, pressurization, refrigeration, filtration, or anycombination thereof. The embodiments described herein may be utilized ina variety of applications to control climate characteristics, such asresidential, commercial, industrial, transportation, or otherapplications where climate control is desired.

In the illustrated embodiment, a building 10 is air conditioned by asystem that includes an HVAC unit 12. The building 10 may be acommercial structure or a residential structure. As shown, the HVAC unit12 is disposed on the roof of the building 10; however, the HVAC unit 12may be located in other equipment rooms or areas adjacent the building10. The HVAC unit 12 may be a single package unit containing otherequipment, such as a blower, integrated air handler, and/or auxiliaryheating unit. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may be part of asplit HVAC system, such as the system shown in FIG. 3 , which includesan outdoor HVAC unit 58 and an indoor HVAC unit 56.

The HVAC unit 12 is an air cooled device that implements a refrigerationcycle to provide conditioned air to the building 10. Specifically, theHVAC unit 12 may include one or more heat exchangers across which an airflow is passed to condition the air flow before the air flow is suppliedto the building. In the illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 12 is arooftop unit (RTU) that conditions a supply air stream, such asenvironmental air and/or a return air flow from the building 10. Afterthe HVAC unit 12 conditions the air, the air is supplied to the building10 via ductwork 14 extending throughout the building 10 from the HVACunit 12. For example, the ductwork 14 may extend to various individualfloors or other sections of the building 10. In certain embodiments, theHVAC unit 12 may be a heat pump that provides both heating and coolingto the building with one refrigeration circuit configured to operate indifferent modes. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may include oneor more refrigeration circuits for cooling an air stream and a furnacefor heating the air stream.

A control device 16, one type of which may be a thermostat, may be usedto designate the temperature of the conditioned air. The control device16 also may be used to control the flow of air through the ductwork 14.For example, the control device 16 may be used to regulate operation ofone or more components of the HVAC unit 12 or other components, such asdampers and fans, within the building 10 that may control flow of airthrough and/or from the ductwork 14. In some embodiments, other devicesmay be included in the system, such as pressure and/or temperaturetransducers or switches that sense the temperatures and pressures of thesupply air, return air, and so forth. Moreover, the control device 16may include computer systems that are integrated with or separate fromother building control or monitoring systems, and even systems that areremote from the building 10.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the HVAC unit 12. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the HVAC unit 12 is a single package unitthat may include one or more independent refrigeration circuits andcomponents that are tested, charged, wired, piped, and ready forinstallation. The HVAC unit 12 may provide a variety of heating and/orcooling functions, such as cooling only, heating only, cooling withelectric heat, cooling with dehumidification, cooling with gas heat, orcooling with a heat pump. As described above, the HVAC unit 12 maydirectly cool and/or heat an air stream provided to the building 10 tocondition a space in the building 10.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2 , a cabinet 24 enclosesthe HVAC unit 12 and provides structural support and protection to theinternal components from environmental and other contaminants. In someembodiments, the cabinet 24 may be constructed of galvanized steel andinsulated with aluminum foil faced insulation. Rails 26 may be joined tothe bottom perimeter of the cabinet 24 and provide a foundation for theHVAC unit 12. In certain embodiments, the rails 26 may provide accessfor a forklift and/or overhead rigging to facilitate installation and/orremoval of the HVAC unit 12. In some embodiments, the rails 26 may fitonto “curbs” on the roof to enable the HVAC unit 12 to provide air tothe ductwork 14 from the bottom of the HVAC unit 12 while blockingelements such as rain from leaking into the building 10.

The HVAC unit 12 includes heat exchangers 28 and 30 in fluidcommunication with one or more refrigeration circuits. Tubes within theheat exchangers 28 and 30 may circulate refrigerant, such as R-410A,through the heat exchangers 28 and 30. The tubes may be of varioustypes, such as multichannel tubes, conventional copper or aluminumtubing, and so forth. Together, the heat exchangers 28 and 30 mayimplement a thermal cycle in which the refrigerant undergoes phasechanges and/or temperature changes as it flows through the heatexchangers 28 and 30 to produce heated and/or cooled air. For example,the heat exchanger 28 may function as a condenser where heat is releasedfrom the refrigerant to ambient air, and the heat exchanger 30 mayfunction as an evaporator where the refrigerant absorbs heat to cool anair stream. In other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may operate in a heatpump mode where the roles of the heat exchangers 28 and 30 may bereversed. That is, the heat exchanger 28 may function as an evaporatorand the heat exchanger 30 may function as a condenser. In furtherembodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may include a furnace for heating the airstream that is supplied to the building 10. While the illustratedembodiment of FIG. 2 shows the HVAC unit 12 having two of the heatexchangers 28 and 30, in other embodiments, the HVAC unit 12 may includeone heat exchanger or more than two heat exchangers.

The heat exchanger 30 is located within a compartment 31 that separatesthe heat exchanger 30 from the heat exchanger 28. Fans 32 draw air fromthe environment through the heat exchanger 28. Air may be heated and/orcooled as the air flows through the heat exchanger 28 before beingreleased back to the environment surrounding the HVAC unit 12. A blowerassembly 34, powered by a motor 36, draws air through the heat exchanger30 to heat or cool the air. The heated or cooled air may be directed tothe building 10 by the ductwork 14, which may be connected to the HVACunit 12. Before flowing through the heat exchanger 30, the conditionedair flows through one or more filters 38 that may remove particulatesand contaminants from the air. In certain embodiments, the filters 38may be disposed on the air intake side of the heat exchanger 30 toprevent contaminants from contacting the heat exchanger 30.

The HVAC unit 12 also may include other equipment for implementing thethermal cycle. Compressors 42 increase the pressure and temperature ofthe refrigerant before the refrigerant enters the heat exchanger 28. Thecompressors 42 may be any suitable type of compressors, such as scrollcompressors, rotary compressors, screw compressors, or reciprocatingcompressors. In some embodiments, the compressors 42 may include a pairof hermetic direct drive compressors arranged in a dual stageconfiguration 44. However, in other embodiments, any number of thecompressors 42 may be provided to achieve various stages of heatingand/or cooling. Additional equipment and devices may be included in theHVAC unit 12, such as a solid-core filter drier, a drain pan, adisconnect switch, an economizer, pressure switches, phase monitors, andhumidity sensors, among other things.

The HVAC unit 12 may receive power through a terminal block 46. Forexample, a high voltage power source may be connected to the terminalblock 46 to power the equipment. The operation of the HVAC unit 12 maybe governed or regulated by a control board 48. The control board 48 mayinclude control circuitry connected to a thermostat, sensors, andalarms. One or more of these components may be referred to hereinseparately or collectively as the control device 16. The controlcircuitry may be configured to control operation of the equipment,provide alarms, and monitor safety switches. Wiring 49 may connect thecontrol board 48 and the terminal block 46 to the equipment of the HVACunit 12.

FIG. 3 illustrates a residential heating and cooling system 50, also inaccordance with present techniques. The residential heating and coolingsystem 50 may provide heated and cooled air to a residential structure,as well as provide outside air for ventilation and provide improvedindoor air quality (IAQ) through devices such as ultraviolet lights andair filters. In the illustrated embodiment, the residential heating andcooling system 50 is a split HVAC system. In general, a residence 52conditioned by a split HVAC system may include refrigerant conduits 54that operatively couple the indoor unit 56 to the outdoor unit 58. Theindoor unit 56 may be positioned in a utility room, an attic, abasement, and so forth. The outdoor unit 58 is typically situatedadjacent to a side of residence 52 and is covered by a shroud to protectthe system components and to prevent leaves and other debris orcontaminants from entering the unit. The refrigerant conduits 54transfer refrigerant between the indoor unit 56 and the outdoor unit 58,typically transferring primarily liquid refrigerant in one direction andprimarily vaporized refrigerant in an opposite direction.

When the system shown in FIG. 3 is operating as an air conditioner, aheat exchanger 60 in the outdoor unit 58 serves as a condenser forre-condensing vaporized refrigerant flowing from the indoor unit 56 tothe outdoor unit 58 via one of the refrigerant conduits 54. In theseapplications, a heat exchanger 62 of the indoor unit functions as anevaporator. Specifically, the heat exchanger 62 receives liquidrefrigerant, which may be expanded by an expansion device, andevaporates the refrigerant before returning it to the outdoor unit 58.

The outdoor unit 58 draws environmental air through the heat exchanger60 using a fan 64 and expels the air above the outdoor unit 58. Whenoperating as an air conditioner, the air is heated by the heat exchanger60 within the outdoor unit 58 and exits the unit at a temperature higherthan it entered. The indoor unit 56 includes a blower or fan 66 thatdirects air through or across the indoor heat exchanger 62, where theair is cooled when the system is operating in air conditioning mode.Thereafter, the air is passed through ductwork 68 that directs the airto the residence 52. The overall system operates to maintain a desiredtemperature as set by a system controller. When the temperature sensedinside the residence 52 is higher than the set point on the thermostat,or the set point plus a small amount, the residential heating andcooling system 50 may become operative to refrigerate additional air forcirculation through the residence 52. When the temperature reaches theset point, or the set point minus a small amount, the residentialheating and cooling system 50 may stop the refrigeration cycletemporarily.

The residential heating and cooling system 50 may also operate as a heatpump. When operating as a heat pump, the roles of heat exchangers 60 and62 are reversed. That is, the heat exchanger 60 of the outdoor unit 58will serve as an evaporator to evaporate refrigerant and thereby coolair entering the outdoor unit 58 as the air passes over the outdoor heatexchanger 60. The indoor heat exchanger 62 will receive a stream of airblown over it and will heat the air by condensing the refrigerant.

In some embodiments, the indoor unit 56 may include a furnace system 70.For example, the indoor unit 56 may include the furnace system 70 whenthe residential heating and cooling system 50 is not configured tooperate as a heat pump. The furnace system 70 may include a burnerassembly and heat exchanger, among other components, inside the indoorunit 56. Fuel is provided to the burner assembly of the furnace 70 whereit is mixed with air and combusted to form combustion products. Thecombustion products may pass through tubes or piping in a heatexchanger, separate from heat exchanger 62, such that air directed bythe blower 66 passes over the tubes or pipes and extracts heat from thecombustion products. The heated air may then be routed from the furnacesystem 70 to the ductwork 68 for heating the residence 52.

FIG. 4 is an embodiment of a vapor compression system 72 that can beused in any of the systems described above. The vapor compression system72 may circulate a refrigerant through a circuit starting with acompressor 74. The circuit may also include a condenser 76, an expansionvalve(s) or device(s) 78, and an evaporator 80. The vapor compressionsystem 72 may further include a control panel 82 that has an analog todigital (A/D) converter 84, a microprocessor 86, a non-volatile memory88, and/or an interface board 90. The control panel 82 and itscomponents may function to regulate operation of the vapor compressionsystem 72 based on feedback from an operator, from sensors of the vaporcompression system 72 that detect operating conditions, and so forth.

In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 72 may use one or moreof a variable speed drive (VSDs) 92, a motor 94, the compressor 74, thecondenser 76, the expansion valve or device 78, and/or the evaporator80. The motor 94 may drive the compressor 74 and may be powered by thevariable speed drive (VSD) 92. The VSD 92 receives alternating current(AC) power having a particular fixed line voltage and fixed linefrequency from an AC power source, and provides power having a variablevoltage and frequency to the motor 94. In other embodiments, the motor94 may be powered directly from an AC or direct current (DC) powersource. The motor 94 may include any type of electric motor that can bepowered by a VSD or directly from an AC or DC power source, such as aswitched reluctance motor, an induction motor, an electronicallycommutated permanent magnet motor, or another suitable motor.

The compressor 74 compresses a refrigerant vapor and delivers the vaporto the condenser 76 through a discharge passage. In some embodiments,the compressor 74 may be a centrifugal compressor. The refrigerant vapordelivered by the compressor 74 to the condenser 76 may transfer heat toa fluid passing across the condenser 76, such as ambient orenvironmental air 96. The refrigerant vapor may condense to arefrigerant liquid in the condenser 76 as a result of thermal heattransfer with the environmental air 96. The liquid refrigerant from thecondenser 76 may flow through the expansion device 78 to the evaporator80.

The liquid refrigerant delivered to the evaporator 80 may absorb heatfrom another air stream, such as a supply air stream 98 provided to thebuilding 10 or the residence 52. For example, the supply air stream 98may include ambient or environmental air, return air from a building, ora combination of the two. The liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 80may undergo a phase change from the liquid refrigerant to a refrigerantvapor. In this manner, the evaporator 80 may reduce the temperature ofthe supply air stream 98 via thermal heat transfer with the refrigerant.Thereafter, the vapor refrigerant exits the evaporator 80 and returns tothe compressor 74 by a suction line to complete the cycle.

In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 72 may further includea reheat coil in addition to the evaporator 80. For example, the reheatcoil may be positioned downstream of the evaporator relative to thesupply air stream 98 and may reheat the supply air stream 98 when thesupply air stream 98 is overcooled to remove humidity from the supplyair stream 98 before the supply air stream 98 is directed to thebuilding 10 or the residence 52.

Any of the features described herein may be incorporated with the HVACunit 12, the residential heating and cooling system 50, or other HVACsystems. Additionally, while the features disclosed herein are describedin the context of embodiments that directly heat and cool a supply airstream provided to a building or other load, embodiments of the presentdisclosure may be applicable to other HVAC systems as well. For example,the features described herein may be applied to mechanical coolingsystems, free cooling systems, chiller systems, or other heat pump orrefrigeration applications.

The embodiments described herein relate to HVAC air measurement systemsconfigured to enable operators to select data relating to certain airflow parameters to be directly downloaded from the HVAC air measurementdevices and/or to otherwise be transmitted directly from the HVAC airmeasurement devices in substantially real time during operation toenable operators to make analytical decisions quickly and to reducedesign development timelines, among other things. In addition, the HVACair measurement devices described herein obviate the need for: (1)separate computing devices to be connected to the HVAC air measurementdevices to extract the data from the HVAC air measurement devices,and/or (2) using specialized software to extract the data from the HVACair measurement devices, as required by conventional HVAC airmeasurement devices.

The techniques described herein may be utilized in various types of HVACair measurement systems. FIGS. 5 through 11 illustrate two exemplarytypes of HVAC air measurement systems. For example, FIG. 5 illustrates afirst HVAC air measurement system 100 that is configured to detectparameters of air flow at an inlet 102 of a fan 104. For example, asillustrated in FIG. 5 , one or more sensors 106 may be disposed in anair flow path defined by the inlet 102 of the fan 104 such that thesensors 106 can detect parameters of air flow through the air flow pathdefined by the inlet 102 of the fan 104 during operation of the fan 104.

As illustrated in FIG. 6 , in certain embodiments, each of the sensors106 may be connected to respective sensor cables 108 that haveelectrical connectors 110 disposed at opposite ends of the sensor cables108 from the sensors 106, wherein the electrical connectors 110 enablethe sensors 106 to be electrically connected to a host (or “primary”)HVAC air measurement device 112 via mating electrical connectors of thehost (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, as illustrated in FIG. 5. In certain embodiments, the sensors 106 (as well as the sensors 132described below) may be thermal dispersion type sensors. However, anyother suitable sensors may be used in conjunction with the data loggingand transmission techniques described herein.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112 includes a housing 114 that, in certain embodiments, includesone or more mounting mechanisms 116 that enable the host (primary) HVACair measurement device 112 to be mounted to a portion of an HVAC system.In addition, in certain embodiments, the housing 114 includes one ormore release mechanisms 118 configured to release a front portion of thehousing 114 from a back portion of the housing 114 to enable the frontportion of the housing 114 to swing open via a hinge 120 that connectsthe front portion of the housing 114 from the back portion of thehousing 114 such that control circuitry of the HVAC air measurementdevice 112, which is enclosed within the housing 114, may be accessibleto operators. In addition, in certain embodiments, the housing 114includes one or more electrical connectors that are configured toelectrically connect the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112to certain sensors 106.

In addition, as also illustrated in FIG. 7 , the host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112 includes a display 122 disposed on an outersurface 124 of the housing 114. As described in greater detail herein,the display 122 may be used to present certain menu options to operatorsof an HVAC system, wherein the menu options relate to parameters of airflow through the HVAC system. In certain embodiments, the display 122may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), however, any suitable display maybe used in other embodiments. In addition, in certain embodiments, thehost (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 includes one or moreinputs 126 disposed on the outer surface 124 of the housing 114. Asdescribed in greater detail herein, the inputs 126 may be used byoperators to select certain parameters of air flow through an HVACsystem to be directly downloaded from the host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112 and/or to otherwise be transmitted directly fromthe host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, as described ingreater detail herein.

In the illustrated embodiment, the inputs 126 include: (1) a “MENU”button that may be selected by an operator to cause menu options to bepresented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112, (2) an “ESC” button that may be selected by an operator toescape from the menu options (e.g., to cause the menu options to beremoved from display via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112), (3) an “UP” button that may be selected by anoperator to move up among a current level of menu options presented viathe display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112,(4) a “DOWN” button that may be selected by an operator to move downamong a current level of menu options presented via the display 122 ofthe host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, and (5) an “ENTER”button that may be selected by an operator to select a menu option thatis currently displayed via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVACair measurement device 112. Although illustrated in FIG. 7 as beingbuttons that may be selected by an operator, in other embodiments, theinputs 126 may take different forms. For example, in certainembodiments, the inputs 126 may be integrated into the display 122, forexample, in embodiments where the display 122 is a touch screen display.

As described in greater detail herein, the control circuitry of the host(primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 that is enclosed within thehousing 114 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may beconfigured to be electrically connected to certain sensors 106; todisplay a parameter selection menu via the display 122 of the host(primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, wherein the parameterselection menu presents certain parameters detected by the sensors 106as selectable parameter options; to receive parameter selection commandsfrom the inputs 126 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device112, wherein the parameter selection commands relate to parametersselected via the parameter selection menu; to receive data relating toparameters from certain sensors 106; and to transmit data relating tothe selected parameters directly from the host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112 based at least in part on the parameter selectioncommands.

As described in greater detail herein, in certain embodiments, the host(primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may be electrically connectedto, and receive data from, certain sensors 106, whereas one or moreclient (or “ancillary”) HVAC air measurement devices 128 may beelectrically connected to, and receive data from, other sensors 106. Insuch embodiments, the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 mayfunction as a hub that collects data from the other client (ancillary)HVAC air measurement device(s) 128, and processes both the datacollected from the other client (ancillary) HVAC air measurementdevice(s) 128 as well as data received from its respective sensors 106.In such embodiments, the menu selection commands that are received bythe host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may apply to datacollected by the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 as wellas data collected by the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurementdevice(s) 128. As illustrated in FIG. 8 , in certain embodiments, theclient (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device(s) 128 may besubstantially similar to the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device112. However, in certain embodiments, the client (ancillary) HVAC airmeasurement device(s) 128 do not include displays 122 or inputs 126disposed on an outer surface 124 of a housing 114 of the client(ancillary) HVAC air measurement device(s) 128.

FIGS. 5 through 8 illustrate a first type of HVAC air measurement system100, and FIGS. 9 through 11 illustrate a second type of HVAC airmeasurement system 130. As illustrated, the host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112 and the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurementdevice(s) 128 of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 9 through 11 maybe substantially similar to the host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112 and the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device(s) 128of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 5 through 8 . However, asillustrated in FIG. 9 , sensors 132 may be mounted to an airfoil-shapedsensor array beam 134 that extends from the back portion 136 of the HVACair measurement device(s) 112, 128 at a first end of the sensor arraybeam 134 to a mounting plate 138 at a second, opposite end of the sensorarray beam 134.

As illustrated in FIG. 11 , the HVAC air measurement system(s) 130 maybe mounted within a duct 140 of an HVAC system by, for example, mountingthe HVAC air measurement device(s) 112, 128 to a first wall 142 of theduct 140 (e.g., using the mounting mechanisms 116 of the HVAC airmeasurement device(s) 112, 128 described above) and mounting themounting plate(s) 138 to a second, opposite wall 144 of the duct 140. Ingeneral, the airfoil-shaped sensor array beams 134 ensure that the HVACair measurement system(s) 130 cause a relatively low pressure drop andrelatively low noise levels during operation of the HVAC system of whichthe duct 140 is part.

The HVAC air measurement systems 100, 130 illustrated in FIGS. 5 through11 are merely exemplary, and not intended to be limiting, of the typesof HVAC air measurement systems that may utilize the air measurementdata logging and transmission techniques described herein. Indeed, anyand all HVAC air measurement systems may leverage the air measurementdata logging and transmission techniques described herein. In general,each of the HVAC air measurement systems 100, 130 described hereininclude an HVAC air measurement device 112, 128 that is configured to beelectrically connected to one or more sensors 106, 132 that areconfigured to detect parameters of air flow through air flow paths ofHVAC systems. In addition, as described in greater detail herein, a host(primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may be used to collect datarelating to the parameters of air flow through air flow paths of an HVACsystem from sensor(s) 106, 132 that are directly electrically connectedto the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, as well ascollecting data relating to the parameters of air flow through the airflow paths of the HVAC system from one or more client (ancillary) HVACair measurement devices 128 that are directly electrically connected toother sensor(s) 106, 132, in certain embodiments.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112, as described herein. As described above, the host (primary)HVAC air measurement device 112 includes one or more inputs 126configured to be manipulated by an operator to enable the operator tomake menu selections from menu options presented via a display 122 ofthe host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, wherein the menuoptions relate to parameters of air flowing through an air flow path ofan HVAC system that are detected by one or more sensors 106, 132 thatare electrically connected to the host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112. For example, in certain embodiments, one or more sensors 106of an HVAC air measurement system 100 may be electrically connected tothe host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 via one or moreelectrical connectors 146 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112, which may be directly coupled to mating electricalconnectors 110 of sensor cables 108 associated with the one or moresensors 106, as described above. In other embodiments, one or moreelectrical connectors 146 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112 may be directly connected to one or more sensors 132 of anHVAC air measurement system 130, for example, via respective electricalwires that are disposed within an interior of a sensor array beam 134 ofthe HVAC air measurement system 130, which is directly coupled to a backportion 136 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, asdescribed above.

In addition, as described in greater detail herein, the host (primary)HVAC air measurement device 112 includes control circuitry 148 thatenables the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 to performthe data logging and transmission techniques described in greater detailherein. In certain embodiments, the control circuitry 148 includesmemory media 150 and processing circuitry 152. The memory media 150 mayinclude a non-transitory computer-readable medium that may storeinstructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry 152, maycause the processing circuitry 152 to perform the data logging andtransmission techniques described in greater detail herein. In certainembodiments, the processing circuitry 152 may be any suitable type ofcomputer processor or microprocessor capable of executingcomputer-executable code, including but not limited to one or more fieldprogrammable gate arrays (FPGA), application-specific integratedcircuits (ASIC), programmable logic devices (PLD), programmable logicarrays (PLA), and the like.

In addition, in certain embodiments, the host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112 may include one or more memory card ports 154,each of which may receive a memory card (e.g., a secure digital (SD)card, a MicroSD card, a flash drive, a memory stick, or any othersuitable memory card) such that data relating to parameters of air flowthrough air flow paths of an HVAC system that have been selected by anoperator may be directly downloaded onto the memory card, as describedin greater detail herein. In addition, in certain embodiments, the host(primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may include a communicationinterface 156 that enables communication with other devices, such as theclient (ancillary) HVAC air measurement devices 128 described herein aswell as external computing devices. For example, in certain embodiments,the communication interface 156 may enable the host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112 to receive data from one or more client(ancillary) HVAC air measurement devices 128 (e.g., to which the host(primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 is either directlyelectrically connected, or at least communicatively coupled with) and,in certain embodiments, to transmit data (e.g., either wired orwirelessly) to one or more external computing devices, such as abuilding management system, cloud storage service, and so forth, asdescribed in greater detail herein. In certain embodiments, thecommunication interfaces 156 described herein may utilize customizeduniversal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART) hardware to enablethe HVAC air measurement devices 112, 128 to communication with eachother, and to enable the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112to communicate with external computing devices, as described in greaterdetail herein. In addition, in certain embodiments, the host (primary)HVAC air measurement device 112 may be configured to automatically(e.g., without human intervention) convert the data into a data formatthat is specifically suitable for a particular external computing deviceto receive, for example, in the case of a third party computing devicethat uses a different data format than that used locally by the HVAC airmeasurement devices 112, 128.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a client (ancillary) HVAC airmeasurement device 128, as described herein. As illustrated in FIG. 13 ,in certain embodiments, the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurementdevice 128 may be substantially similar to the host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112 of FIG. 12 . However, as described in greaterdetail herein, the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device 128may not include inputs 126, a display 122, or memory card ports 154.However, in certain embodiments, the client (ancillary) HVAC airmeasurement device 128 may include a communication interface 156 thatenables communication with a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device112 to enable the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device 128 totransmit data to an associated host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112, wherein the data relates to parameters of air flow throughair flow paths of an HVAC system that have been selected by an operatorvia an associated host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, andwhich has been collected by one or more sensors 106, 132 that areelectrically connected to the client (ancillary) HVAC air measurementdevice 128, as described in greater detail herein.

As described in greater detail herein, the host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112 is configured to present operators with menuoptions that may be used to select certain parameters of air flowthrough air flow paths of an HVAC system that are detected by one ormore sensors 106, 132 disposed within the air flow paths, and totransmit the data directly from the host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112 (e.g., by downloading the data to a memory card received intoa memory card port 154 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device112 and/or by transmitting the data directly from the host (primary)HVAC air measurement device 112 to an external computing device such asa building management system, a cloud storage service, and so forth)without the need to directly connect other computing devices to the host(primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, without the need to useadditional software, and so forth. In addition, the menu optionspresented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112 may be presented as hierarchical menu options that enablerelatively complex data logging and data transmission, as described ingreater detail herein. For example, FIG. 14 illustrates an example firstlevel menu option being presented via the display 122 of the host(primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 (in this instance, “DataLogging”), which may be scrolled to by manipulating the “MENU” button ofthe inputs 126 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 andscrolling up or down by manipulating the “UP” or “DOWN” buttons of theinputs 126, and may be selected by manipulating the “ENTER” button ofthe inputs 126.

Then, once the first level “Data Logging” menu option is selected, asillustrated in FIG. 15 , second level menu options may be presented viathe display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112,which may enable the selection of different parameters of air flowthrough air flow paths of an HVAC system that are detected by one ormore sensors 106, 132 disposed within the air flow paths. As illustratedin FIG. 15 , one example second level menu option may include“Temperature” of the air flow through the air flow paths of the HVACsystem detected by the one or more sensors 106, 132. However, othersecond level menu options may include “Flow Rate” of the air flowthrough the air flow paths of the HVAC system detected by the one ormore sensors 106, 132, “Relative Humidity” of the air flow through theair flow paths of the HVAC system detected by the one or more sensors106, 132, “Barometric Pressure” of the air flow through the air flowpaths of the HVAC system detected by the one or more sensors 106, 132,“Refrigerant Detection” of refrigerant within the air flow through theair flow paths of the HVAC system (e.g., due to refrigerant leaks)detected by the one or more sensors 106, 132, or any other parameter ofair flow through the air flow paths of the HVAC system that are detectedby one or more sensors 106, 132. In certain embodiments, an operator mayselect a particular parameter from the second level menu options bymanipulating the “Enter” button of the inputs 126 of the host (primary)HVAC air measurement device 112 when the particular parameter ispresented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112, and then the operator may select other parameters from thesecond level menu options by again manipulating the “Enter” button ofthe inputs 126 when the other parameters are presented via the display122. As such, the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 mayenable the selection of multiple parameters by, in other words, enablingtoggling of any of the second level menu options until a final “FinishParameter Selections” second level menu option is selected bymanipulating the “Enter” button of the inputs 126 when the “FinishParameter Selections” second level menu option is presented via thedisplay 122.

Then, once the second level “Finish Parameter Selections” menu option isselected, as illustrated in FIG. 16 , third level menu options may bepresented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112, which may enable the selection of various sensors 106, 132disposed within the air flow paths of the HVAC system. As illustrated inFIG. 16 , the sensors 106, 132 may have names that may be recognized byan operator (e.g., “Fan 22 Inlet” in the illustrated example). Incertain embodiments, an operator may select a particular sensor 106, 132from the third level menu options by manipulating the “Enter” button ofthe inputs 126 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112when the particular sensor 106, 132 is presented via the display 122 ofthe host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, and then theoperator may select other sensors 106, 132 from the third level menuoptions by again manipulating the “Enter” button of the inputs 126 whenthe other sensors 106, 132 are presented via the display 122. As such,the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may enable theselection of multiple sensors 106, 132 by, in other words, enablingtoggling of any of the third level menu options until a final “FinishSensor Selections” third level menu option is selected by manipulatingthe “Enter” button of the inputs 126 when the “Finish Sensor Selections”third level menu option is presented via the display 122.

Then, once the third level “Finish Sensor Selections” menu option isselected, as illustrated in FIG. 17 , fourth level menu options may bepresented via the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112, which may enable the selection of a data logging frequencyat which data may be collected from the selected one or more sensors106, 132 disposed within the air flow paths of the HVAC system. Asillustrated in FIG. 17 , one example fourth level menu option mayinclude “Every 1.0 Second”. However, other fourth level menu options mayinclude “Every 5.0 Seconds”, “Every 15 Seconds”, “Every 30 Seconds”,“Every 1.0 Minute”, “Every 5.0 Minutes”, “Every 15 Minutes”, “Every 30Minutes”, “Every 1.0 Hour”, or any other data logging frequency at whichdata may be collected from the selected one or more sensors 106, 132. Incertain embodiments, an operator may select a particular data loggingfrequency from the fourth level menu options by manipulating the “Enter”button of the inputs 126 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112 when the particular data logging frequency is presented viathe display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112.Once the particular parameters of air flow through the air flow paths ofthe HVAC system, the particular sensors 106, 132 detecting theparticular parameters of air flow through the air flow paths of the HVACsystem, and the data logging frequency are selected by an operator, adata logging loop may be created by the host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112, as described in greater detail herein.

Then, at any time after the data logging loop has had an opportunity torun (e.g., and the data relating to the selected parameters of air flowthrough the air flow paths of the HVAC system has been collected andstored in the memory media 150 of the host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112), an operator may select to have the created datalog to be transmitted directly from the host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112. For example, FIG. 18 illustrates another examplefirst level menu option being presented via the display 122 of the host(primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 (in this instance, “DataTransmission”), which may be scrolled to by manipulating the “MENU”button of the inputs 126 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112 and scrolling up or down by manipulating the “UP” or “DOWN”buttons of the inputs 126, and may be selected by manipulating the“ENTER” button of the inputs 126.

Then, once the first level “Data Transmission” menu option is selected,as illustrated in FIG. 19 , second level menu options may be presentedvia the display 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device112, which may enable the selection of a transmission method by which adata log may be transmitted. As illustrated in FIG. 19 , one examplesecond level menu option may include “Wireless to BMS” (e.g., meaning towirelessly transmit the data log to a building management systemassociated with an HVAC system to which the data log relates). However,other second level menu options may include a list of differenttransmission options for the data log, such as wired communication tothe building management system, wired or wireless communication to acloud storage service, direct downloading into a memory card that isinserted into a memory card port 154 of the host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112, or any other suitable data transmission methodto one or more external computing devices, as described in greaterdetail herein. In certain embodiments, an operator may select aparticular data transmission method from the second level menu optionsby manipulating the “Enter” button of the inputs 126 of the host(primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 when the particular datatransmission method is presented via the display 122 of the host(primary) HVAC air measurement device 112, at which point the host(primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 may begin transmitting thedata log using the selected data transmission method.

It will be appreciated that the menu options described with reference toFIGS. 14 through 19 are merely exemplary, and are not intended to belimiting. In particular, in other embodiments, additional or fewer menuoptions relating to data logging and/or data transmission may bepresented to operators, and used by the host (primary) HVAC airmeasurement device 112 to determine how to collect and/or transmit datarelating to parameters of air flow through air flow paths of HVACsystems, as described in greater detail herein.

FIG. 20 is a flow diagram of a method 158 for operating the host(primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 described in greater detailherein. As illustrated in FIG. 20 , in certain embodiments, the method158 includes displaying, via control circuitry 148 of the host (primary)HVAC air measurement device 112, a parameter selection menu via thedisplay 122 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112,wherein the parameter selection menu presents one or more parameters ofair flow through an air flow path of an HVAC system as one or moreselectable parameter options, wherein the one or more parameters aredetected by one or more sensors 106, 132 disposed within the air flowpath of the HVAC system (block 160). In addition, in certainembodiments, the method 158 includes receiving, via the controlcircuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, one or moreparameter selection commands from one or more inputs 126 of the HVAC airmeasurement device 112, wherein the one or more parameter selectioncommands relate to one or more selected parameters of the one or moreparameters (block 162). In addition, in certain embodiments, the method158 includes receiving, via the control circuitry 148 of the HVAC airmeasurement device 112, data relating to the one or more parameters fromthe one or more sensors 106, 132 (block 164). In addition, in certainembodiments, the method 158 includes transmitting, via the controlcircuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, data relating tothe one or more selected parameters of the one or more parametersdirectly from the HVAC air measurement device 112 based at least in parton the one or more parameter selection commands (block 166).

In addition, in certain embodiments, transmitting, via the controlcircuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, the data relatingto the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parametersdirectly from the HVAC air measurement device 112 includes transmittingthe data to a building management system. In addition, in certainembodiments, transmitting, via the control circuitry 148 of the HVAC airmeasurement device 112, the data relating to the one or more selectedparameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC airmeasurement device 112 includes transmitting the data to a cloud storageservice. In addition, in certain embodiments, transmitting, via thecontrol circuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, the datarelating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or moreparameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device 112 includesstoring the data on a memory card received by a memory card port 154 ofthe HVAC air measurement device 112. In certain embodiments, historicaldata may be stored in the memory media 150 of the HVAC air measurementdevice 112, which may include both data logged and transmitted, asdescribed in greater detail herein, as well as data collected over timeby the HVAC air measurement device 112.

In addition, in certain embodiments, the parameter selection menupresents one or more data logging frequencies as one or more selectabledata logging frequency options, and the method 158 includes receiving,via the control circuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, adata logging frequency selection command from the one or more inputs126, wherein the data logging frequency selection command relates to aselected data logging frequency; logging, via the control circuitry 148of the HVAC air measurement device 112, the data relating to the one ormore parameters in a log file at the selected data logging frequency;and transmitting, via the control circuitry 148 of the HVAC airmeasurement device 112, the log file directly from the HVAC airmeasurement device 112.

In addition, in certain embodiments, the parameter selection menupresents the one or more sensors 106, 132 as one or more selectablesensor options, and the method 158 includes receiving, via the controlcircuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, one or more sensorselection commands from the one or more inputs 126, wherein the one ormore sensor selection commands relate to one or more selected sensors106, 132 of the one or more sensors 106, 132; and transmitting, via thecontrol circuitry 148 of the HVAC air measurement device 112, the datarelating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or moreparameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device 112 based atleast in part on the one or more sensor selection commands.

In addition, in certain embodiments, the method 158 includes receiving,via the control circuitry 148 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112, a subset of the data relating to the one or more parametersfrom one or more client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement devices 128.

FIG. 21 is a flow diagram of a data logging process 168 that may beutilized using the HVAC air measurement devices 112, 128 describedherein. As illustrated in FIG. 21 , the data logging process 168 maybegin with booting the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112(block 170), after which the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device112 may load data logging settings, for example, from the memory media150 of the host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 (block 172)and, in certain embodiments, a command to reset a data logging device(e.g., a client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device 128, in certainsituations) (block 174). At this point, a decision may be made whetherdata logging is enabled for the particular HVAC air measurement device112, 128 (decision branch 176). If data logging is not enabled for theHVAC air measurement device 112, 128, then the data logging process 168ends (block 178). However, if data logging is enabled for the HVAC airmeasurement device 112, 128, then the data logging process 168 starts adata logging loop (block 180).

At this point, a decision may be made whether it is time for a new datalogging event (decision branch 182). If it is not time for a new datalogging event, the data logging process 168 begins the data logging loopagain (block 180). However, if it is time for a new data logging event,a decision may be made whether a new log file needs to be started(decision branch 184). In certain embodiments, a new log file may bestarted for the first log file since boot or when a full 24 hours havepassed starting a new log file for the next day. If a new log file doesnot need to be started, the data logging process 168 may proceed tosending data to the log file (block 186). However, if a new log filedoes need to be started, the data logging process 168 may continue bysetting a new log file name (block 188). In certain embodiments, the logfile name may follow a predefined naming convention, such asMBBBBDDD.csv, where M=type of the HVAC air measurement device 112, 128(e.g., H=host, P=primary, C=client, and A=ancillary), BBBB=a number ofboots since data logging was enabled for the HVAC air measurement device112, 128, and DDD=a number of days of data logging on the current bootnumber.

After the new log file has been named, a command may be sent for thedata logging device to start a new log file using the new log file name(e.g., a command being sent from a host (primary) HVAC air measurementdevice 112 to a client (ancillary) HVAC air measurement device 128)(block 190). Then, header text for the new log file may be sent (e.g.,from a host (primary) HVAC air measurement device 112 to a client(ancillary) HVAC air measurement device 128) (block 192). In certainembodiments, the header text and the data logged may be dependent on theparticular device settings that are loaded in block 172). For example,as described in greater detail herein, the log file may log data fromsensor(s) 106, 132 associated with the particular HVAC air measurementdevice 112, 128, may log data that are averages from several sensors106, 132 associated with the particular HVAC air measurement device 112,128, may log data that are averages for a particular HVAC component(e.g., a particular fan, a particular duct, etc.), and so forth.

Then, data may be sent to the log file (block 186), and the next datalogging event time may be set (block 194), at which point the datalogging loop ends (block 196), and the data logging process 168 proceedsback to the start of a new data logging loop (block 180). In certainembodiments, the data logging event timing may be at set intervals, asdescribed in greater detail herein. The steps of the data loggingprocess 168 are merely exemplary, and are not intended to be limiting.Indeed, additional steps may be included in the data logging process 168or some of the illustrated steps may be omitted from the data loggingprocess 168.

While only certain features and embodiments of the disclosure have beenillustrated and described, many modifications and changes may occur tothose skilled in the art, such as variations in sizes, dimensions,structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values ofparameters, including temperatures and pressures, mounting arrangements,use of materials, colors, orientations, and so forth without materiallydeparting from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matterrecited in the claims. The order or sequence of any process or methodsteps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternativeembodiments. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claimsare intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall withinthe true spirit of the disclosure. Furthermore, in an effort to providea concise description of the exemplary embodiments, all features of anactual implementation may not have been described, such as thoseunrelated to the presently contemplated best mode of carrying out thedisclosure, or those unrelated to enabling the claimed disclosure. Itshould be noted that in the development of any such actualimplementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerousimplementation specific decisions may be made. Such a development effortmight be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routineundertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those ofordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure, without undueexperimentation.

1. A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) air measurement device, comprising: a housing; a display disposed on an outer surface of the housing; one or more inputs disposed on the outer surface of the housing; and control circuitry configured to be electrically connected to one or more sensors disposed within an air flow path of an HVAC system, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect one or more parameters of air flow through the air flow path, wherein the control circuitry is configured to: display a parameter selection menu via the display, wherein the parameter selection menu presents the one or more parameters as one or more selectable parameter options; receive one or more parameter selection commands from the one or more inputs, wherein the one or more parameter selection commands relate to one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters; receive data relating to the one or more parameters from the one or more sensors; and transmit data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device based at least in part on the one or more parameter selection commands.
 2. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein transmitting the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device comprises transmitting the data to a building management system.
 3. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein transmitting the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device comprises transmitting the data to a cloud storage service.
 4. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, comprising a memory card port configured to receive a memory card, wherein transmitting the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device comprises storing the data on the memory card.
 5. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the parameter selection menu presents one or more data logging frequencies as one or more selectable data logging frequency options, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to: receive a data logging frequency selection command from the one or more inputs, wherein the data logging frequency selection command relates to a selected data logging frequency; log the data relating to the one or more parameters in a log file at the selected data logging frequency; and transmit the log file directly from the HVAC air measurement device.
 6. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the parameter selection menu presents the one or more sensors as one or more selectable sensor options, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to: receive one or more sensor selection commands from the one or more inputs, wherein the one or more sensor selection commands relate to one or more selected sensors of the one or more sensors; and transmit the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device based at least in part on the one or more sensor selection commands.
 7. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to receive a subset of the data relating to the one or more parameters from one or more other HVAC air measurement devices.
 8. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprise a temperature of the air flow through the air flow path.
 9. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprise a flow rate of the air flow through the air flow path.
 10. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprise a relative humidity of the air flow through the air flow path.
 11. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprise a barometric pressure of the air flow through the air flow path.
 12. The HVAC air measurement device of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprise a refrigerant detection of refrigerant within the air flow through the air flow path.
 13. A method, comprising: displaying, via control circuitry of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) air measurement device, a parameter selection menu via a display of the HVAC air measurement device, wherein the parameter selection menu presents one or more parameters of air flow through an air flow path of an HVAC system as one or more selectable parameter options, wherein the one or more parameters are detected by one or more sensors disposed within the air flow path of the HVAC system; receiving, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, one or more parameter selection commands from one or more inputs of the HVAC air measurement device, wherein the one or more parameter selection commands relate to one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters; receiving, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, data relating to the one or more parameters from the one or more sensors; and transmitting, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device based at least in part on the one or more parameter selection commands.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device comprises transmitting the data to a building management system.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device comprises transmitting the data to a cloud storage service.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device comprises storing the data on a memory card received by a memory card port of the HVAC air measurement device.
 17. The method of claim 13, wherein the parameter selection menu presents one or more data logging frequencies as one or more selectable data logging frequency options, and wherein the method comprises: receiving, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, a data logging frequency selection command from the one or more inputs, wherein the data logging frequency selection command relates to a selected data logging frequency; logging, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, the data relating to the one or more parameters in a log file at the selected data logging frequency; and transmitting, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, the log file directly from the HVAC air measurement device.
 18. The method of claim 13, wherein the parameter selection menu presents the one or more sensors as one or more selectable sensor options, and wherein the method comprises: receiving, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, one or more sensor selection commands from the one or more inputs, wherein the one or more sensor selection commands relate to one or more selected sensors of the one or more sensors; and transmitting, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, the data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device based at least in part on the one or more sensor selection commands.
 19. The method of claim 13, wherein the method comprises receiving, via the control circuitry of the HVAC air measurement device, a subset of the data relating to the one or more parameters from one or more other HVAC air measurement devices.
 20. A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) air measurement system, comprising: one or more sensors configured to be disposed within an air flow path of an HVAC system, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect one or more parameters of air flow through the air flow path; and an HVAC air measurement device, comprising: a housing; a display disposed on an outer surface of the housing; one or more inputs disposed on the outer surface of the housing; and control circuitry configured to be electrically connected to the one or more sensors, wherein the control circuitry is configured to: display a parameter selection menu via the display, wherein the parameter selection menu presents the one or more parameters as one or more selectable parameter options; receive one or more parameter selection commands from the one or more inputs, wherein the one or more parameter selection commands relate to one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters; receive data relating to the one or more parameters from the one or more sensors; and transmit data relating to the one or more selected parameters of the one or more parameters directly from the HVAC air measurement device based at least in part on the one or more parameter selection commands. 